


The Beast Prince

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: Bleach mpreg, Byakuya mpreg, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 20:26:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16541639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: Kenpachi rescues Tetsuya Kuchiki from a group of demon worshippers and lovers, Byakuya and Ichigo seek answers about why Tetsuya was targeted. But what they uncover is so dangerous it threatens to be the end of them all...yaoi, mpreg





	1. A Knife in my Heart

_Why are you sad? You recovered your real strength and you were able to defeat me. I understand that many fights will go back to being boring little games for you. But now you have enemies to fight, friends to compete with...and more importantly, your partner who awakened with you..._

"Fuck," Kenpachi sighed discontentedly, "Nothing's been the same since she died...since I killed her."

He let out a long breath of resignation, contemplating the darkness that was falling over the empty training grounds.

_What the hell am I gonna do now?_

He scowled as a deep, rough voice rose up in his mind.

_You could stop your incessant bitching for one thing._

"Nozarashi," Kenpachi growled softly, "Bastard spends years not talking to me and now he won't shut the hell up..."

_I'm bored._

_I need something to fight..._

He glanced back at the eleventh division headquarters and sighed, then shook his head and broke into a run. Sensing powerful reiatsu, he headed to the west, angling towards the Rukongai.

"Hey Kenny, where are you going?" called Yachiru, bounding after him.

"I'm bored. I'm going to fight something," he called back.

"Okay, wait for me!"

"Naw, you catch up."

He ran faster, enjoying the deeper breaths he took in that smelled like rain and seemed to freshen body and spirit. The reiatsu he had sensed flared more brightly, coaxing and teasing him until he erupted into flash steps.

"Wow Kenny!" Yachiru yelled appreciatively, "You learned how to flash step! FINALLY!"

"Eh, shut up..." he muttered, "I just want to get there before whatever it is leaves."

"Did Byakushi teach you that?" the girl persisted.

"Yeah. Yeah, he did. And I taught him a couple of tricks while we were sparring too. He's good. Maybe we should go over there later."

"Nope," Yachiru said firmly, "Byakushi's got a bun in his oven. No fighting for six more months."

"Aww, damn it all to hell, really?" the big man groaned, Remind me to kick Ichigo's ass for that. Now he's not just avoiding fighting me, he's knocked up my favorite sparring partner too! I'm gonna kill that little shit!"

"Um, aren't you forgetting something?" Yachiru reminded him.

Kenpachi blinked, then realized he had stopped running while they had been talking. Grunting determinedly, he located the riled reiatsu again and flash stepped towards it. As he moved closer, he recognized that there were two distinct reiatsus, one captain level and one unfamiliar.

_Unfamiliar and more to my liking._

He laughed more contentedly and sped towards the place where the two were entangled, his sword already out and humming with readiness.

_This is a very satisfying reiatsu,_ Nozarashi sighed contentedly, "And I think it's about to finish its opponent."

"Good, no one to get in the way of us having fun," Kenpachi concluded.

He emerged from the trees and skidded to a stop, staring at the strange sight that was playing out ahead of him. In a large clearing, rows of people, dressed in black and carefully hooded, gathered around a huge stone altar. Across its surface laid a very lovely and pale, naked young man, his wrists, ankles and waist lashed tightly to it. His reiatsu swelled wildly around him as he struggled to break free. But it was to no avail. His captors gathered around the altar, chanting loudly as a mist opened up over the captive man's body and a harsh red light poured out. The young captive looked up into the strange light and blanched, then he fought harder, crying out in terror as something began to pass through the opening.

"NO, LET ME GO!" he howled, straining until the skin under the bindings tore, "HELP ME! HELP ME, SOMEONE!"

Kenpachi's green eyes widened at how the young man's cry seemed to pass all of the way through him. He swayed dizzily for a moment, feeling a sense much like waking up from a very deep sleep. He exploded into flash steps, knocking aside the chanting men. His sword slashed, freeing the naked man as he propelled himself towards the beastly red monster that had been called out of the abyss.

"This is more like it!" he shouted happily, not noticing at all as the young man tore the bonds from his body and jumped down off of the altar.

As Kenpachi threw himself at the malevolent spirit, the male captive released flashes of kido and flash stepped wildly to escape the reaching hands of the men who had abducted him.

"You are food for the beast!" one of the hooded ones hissed, "Accept your fate, little transcendent!"

"What are you talking about?" the young man objected, "I am no transcendent! I am just a half-blood! I am nobody. I don't understand!"

"Accept your fate," another enemy intoned warningly.

The others closed in around him, chanting the same phrase repeatedly.

"AcceptyourfateAcceptyourfateAcceptyourfateAcceptyourfate!" they chanted, pressing in.

The young man looked desperately to where his rescuer was entangled with the hideous thing that had emerged from the spell mist the dark ones had conjured.

"Oh, this is not good!" he mused, looking around.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiii-yah!" bellowed Yachiru, crashing through the group of men and sending them tumbling wildly in all directions.

The men snarled and tried to regroup, but the naked man's kido flashed and Yachiru's little body assaulted them viciously, swiftly leaving the men in a scattered mess of dark clumps on the ground. As the last fell, the naked man made a sound of pain and collapsed, blood leaking from numerous wounds on his slender body. Yachiru dragged him quickly away from the fighting and worked at healing his injuries, while watching out of the corner of an eye as Kenpachi moved in blinding flash steps and his sword blazed this way and that.

"Wow, he's really having a good fight!" Yachiru said appreciatively.

"M-miss," the young man panted, "That...thing is a spirit demon!"

"Huh?" Yachiru queried, looking at him blankly.

"It's a spirit demon!" the man said again, "It will leave him with poison inside that will swiftly kill him. I can slow it down, but I have to get to him."

"I don't know," Yachiru said uncertainly, "Kenny doesn't like to be bothered when he's fighting, and he might cut you in half if you get in the way."

"Well, he just saved my life. I am not going to let him be killed!" the young man insisted, flash stepping towards the captain and the demon.

He launched himself into the air and swept over the two, touching the fighting shinigami lightly on the face and breathing a soft command.

"Shussui!"

Kenpachi's eyes rounded as he felt something cool sweep through his veins and the wicked burn of the spirit demon's invasive reiatsu seemed to retreat.

The young man landed just out of their range and turned back.

"You must finish him quickly!" he cried, "My power will hold off the poison, but only long enough for a few more strikes."

"Gotcha!" Kenpachi assured him.

The young man breathed a sigh of relief and finally thought to look around for something with which to cover himself. But as he moved, he felt an odd trickle on his chest. He looked down in surprise and found a neat row of claw marks where the spirit demon had slashed him across the chest.

"Oh!" he gasped, "Sh-shussui!"

Cool liqid flowed through his veins, protecting him from the demon's poison, but the loss of blood made him dizzy. He staggered and fell to his knees

"Please hurry!" he panted desperately, his eyes rolling back and his body shaking and finally giving way.

Yachiru appeared at his side and pulled him back from the two still fighting.

Kenpachi threw himself at the beast, loosing a monstrous snarl and slashing at blinding speeds. The demon hissed and spat, burning the ground around them and slashing with his sharp claws.

"All right, you little shit," Kenpachi snapped, "I'm getting giddy again, so I think it's time to put you down.

He put on a final burst of speed, slashing furiously and making a wind rise up around them. He raised his reiatsu and surrounded the beastly thing's body, roaring with a vengeance as it crushed inward, joining with the slashes to turn the spirit demon into an explosion of blood and ghastly green reiatsu.

"Fuck!" Kenpachi exclaimed, dancing back and watching the demon flicker oddly and disappear into a large puff of poisoned green gas, "That thing was nasty!"

He shook his head grimly and walked back to where Yachiru leaned over the naked and now unconscious young man.

"Is he alive?" he asked gruffly.

"Right now he is," Yachiru confirmed, "But he said that the poison will kill both of you if you don't get an anti...an...anti...he said you have to get a cure or you'll turn into a demon too!"

"What a damned pain!" Kenpachi complained, "We're pretty far from the fourth division."

"We can go to Karakura Town," Yachiru suggested, "Orihime Inoue's power should be able to help."

"All right, whatever," Kenpachi sighed indifferently.

He opened a senkaimon and started to step inside, but paused as Yachiru cleared her throat and pointed at the collapsed, naked and very attractive shinigami.

"Aww, hell, all right. I suppose he did help so I could enjoy the fight longer. Come on."

Kenpachi lifted the unconscious man into his arms, blinking as a soft, sweet scent broke across his senses.

_He smells a little like Kuchiki...but sakura and something else...leather? I like that._

A soft chuckle rumbled through his chest as the close contact with the younger man sent a warm throb of arousal through his loins.

_I feel kinda strange._

"We've gotta hurry, Kenny!" Yachiru said urgently, "I don't want you both to turn into monsters!"

"Would you stop fussing?" Kenpachi complained as the two flash stepped into the precipice world and down the dark corridors, "I'm going, sheesh..."

They located the Karakura Town exit and burst through, coming down to land lightly on the sandy ground in Kisuke Urahara's underground training area. As his feet touched the ground, Kenpachi felt a sharper burning in his chest and made a sound of surprise and pain. Still holding the naked young man against him, he sank to the ground, groaning and losing consciousness as Yachiru yelled for the shopkeeper.

A blistering flash step sounded and Kisuke appeared in front of them. He looked from Yachiru's worried face to Kenpachi to the naked man he clasped. Blood splashed their bodies all over and Kisuke felt a twinge of concern at the deep wounds.

"Looks like we'll be needing Orihime," he mused, pausing to send a hell butterfly before kneeling at Kenpachi's side.

"What happened to them?" Kisuke asked, "They got ripped up pretty bad."

"Kenpachi sensed something big and he went to see what it was," the pink-haired vice captain explained, "It turned out there were these people in black that took that guy's clothes off and tied him up. They were chanting and there was a mist over the guy. Then, this monster with red and black skin dropped down and Kenny wanted to fight it. The naked man said that the thing was a demon and it was poisoning Kenny! He said a funny word and Kenny got stronger again, but he said it was only for a little while and then the demon slashed him with his claws and he was bleeding and used his spell on himself!"

"Whoa, slow down," Kisuke chuckled, "I can't keep up with you. But don't worry. Orihime's on the way."

He leaned over the naked man, studying him more closely, then making a sound of surprise.

"What's wrong?" asked Yachiru, "Is he becoming a demon?"

"No, not yet," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "I just realized I know him! This is Byakuya's younger cousin, Tetsuya Kuchiki. He went missing tonight under suspicious circumstances. Half the Seireitei is looking for this guy!"

"Well, we found him!" Yachiru said proudly.

Her voice dropped into a loud whisper.

"But before we let anyone else find him, we ought to get him some clothes to wear!"

"Don't you worry about that," Kisuke laughed, "I'll take care of him. But I need you to go back to the Seireitei and let Byakuya know that Tetsuya's been found."

"Okay!" the pink-haired girl said enthusiastically.

Kisuke smiled and shook his head as she disappeared into a senkaimon.

"Cute."

He leaned over the two unconscious men, infusing their bodies with healing power, but feeling an edge of anxiousness until voices sounded at the top of the training room ladder and Orihime quickly climbed down to join him.

Even before reaching him, she was already releasing her power. Golden oval shields swept over Kenpachi and Tetsuya, adding her power to Kisuke's and working to reject the demon's poison.

"Thanks," Kisuke said gratefully, "These two got into some serious trouble out there. Whatever they tangled with wasn't something we usually see in Soul Society."

"What was it?" Orihime asked, paling.

"Well, Yachiru said it was a spirit demon," Kisuke explained, "But spirit demons are the former agents of an old dark transcendent of the royal realm. If they are here, then they are on a blood hunt. What I don't know is why. I would try to get it out of the demon, but I'm sure, being Kenpachi, he turned it into mincemeat before coming here for healing. Damned shame. I want to know who grabbed Tetsuya and why. I need to study this some more."

He looked up as Byakuya and Ichigo arrived through the senkaimon and joined him at Kenpachi and Tetsuya's side.

"What the hell happened to them?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"They were attacked by something we don't usually see here...a spirit demon," he explained, looking meaningfully at Byakuya, who inhaled sharply and nodded.

"That does not bode well."

"No," Kisuke agreed, "I mean, it could be an isolated one, but those things are usually on a blood trail of some kind, and this one was conjured, using Tetsuya as an intended sacrifice...from what Yachiru told me."

"A sacrifice!" Byakuya repeated in a furious tone.

"Yeah, something really weird is going on and..."

Kisuke paused and his eyes widened as, in front of them, golden reiatsu suddenly exploded around Kenpachi. His body shuddered and his hand moved, causing the long, rough fingertips to touch Tetsuya's very lightly. White reiatsu flashed brightly in response, all around Tetsuya's still naked form.

"Whoa!" Ichigo yelled over the rising wind, "What's going on?"

Kisuke and Byakuya exchanged stunned glances, watching raptly as the two reiatsus swirled around each other, then started to merge.

"Tetsuya!" Byakuya hissed softly, watching as the spinning energies bound themselves together.

Their reiatsu flared wildly, one more time, then slowly died away, leaving the three men and human girl staring down at the two now fully healed men.

"Weird!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I'm with him," Kisuke said, staring, "Byakuya, I have a really bad feeling about this."


	2. The Resonance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange, powerful connection forms between Kenpachi and Tetsuya.

Tetsuya relaxed against the pillows in the bed he occupied, stealing sideways glances at the large, scarred man who lay, snoring loudly, beside him.

“Tell me again why we are sharing a bed?” Tetsuya requested, watching as Kisuke pored over each of the young man’s spirit centers, then checked his vital signs.

“It seems like there’s some kind of connection between the two of you,” Kisuke mused, tilting his head and studying Tetsuya’s spirit core.

He turned to Kenpachi and carefully opened his yukata, examining him closely before sitting back, sighing in frustration and closing the big man’s yukata again. A little smirk touched his lips as he realized Tetsuya was blushing and trying to look away while the big man’s ample nether region was exposed.

“Sorry,” the shopkeeper apologized, “I was just real focused on finding some answers about what’s going on between the two of you. Didn’t mean to embarrass you, Tetsuya.”

“Oh, um, it’s all r-right,” Tetsuya stammered, the flush on his face darkening, “It j-just seems as though this man and I are spending a lot of time undressed in front of each other is all.”

“Sorry about that,” Kisuke chuckled, “You guys can keep your clothes on after this.”

“But,” Tetsuya objected, “I’m not accustomed to sleeping next to a stranger.”

“He’s not really a stranger,” Kisuke reminded Tetsuya, “I’m sure that, as Byakuya’s bodyguard, you’re familiar with all of the captains.”

“W-well, yes, but that isn’t the same as knowing someone. And sleeping next to a person is rather intimate.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you. He’s still out cold.”

“Will he be all right?” Tetsuya asked, his blush deepening as he felt again the way the bigger man’s hands had felt as they had snatched him away from the demon, “He rescued me. I mean, I know that he really just wanted to fight the demon they used me to summon, but…he still saw that I was in danger, and he pulled me out of harm’s way.”

“Yeah,” Kisuke chuckled, “You won’t hear the guy confess it, but Kenpachi has a heart in there somewhere. He’s like a big kid, wanting to fight all of the time, but he watches out for other people he likes and respects. He’s pretty fond of Byakuya, actually.”

Tetsuya laughed helplessly.

“What?” Kisuke chuckled amiably.

“Captain Zaraki is constantly challenging Byakuya to fights. What do you mean he respects my cousin?”

Kisuke shrugged.

“Kenpachi likes good opponents too,” he said flippantly, “He’s not all bad. You get used to him after a while.”

“Well…” Tetsuya sighed, slipping his legs over the edge of the bed and earning an instant reprimand from the piqued shopkeeper.

“Hey, what’re you doing? Get back in bed before you fall down, kiddo.”

Tetsuya frowned rebelliously.

“I have to return to Kuchiki Manor at once. Now that I am awake and all right, I must go back to protecting my cousin. I will, of course, keep in touch with you and notify you at once of any significant problems with my health.”

“Lie back down,” Kisuke said, placing a staying hand on Tetsuya’s chest, “I’m not done with you yet, and your cousin is here, anyway. He and Ichigo are just resting right now. He’ll be in as soon as they’re up and have had breakfast.”

“Byakuya shouldn’t have even come all of this way while in his condition,” Tetsuya objected.

“Hey, he’s just knocked up. It happens. You, of all people, know that.”

“But it can cause complications in those with Breeder abilities,” Tetsuya reasoned, “It’s much better for him to be near home, where our healers are…”

“What do I look like?” Kisuke asked feigning reproach, “Chopped liver? I’m not such a bad healer, myself. I fixed you up, didn’t I?”

“I’m sorry,” Tetsuya said, coloring, “I wasn’t meaning to insult you, especially after you went to so much trouble to heal me. I…”

Tetsuya broke off, staring in surprise as Kenpachi grunted suddenly, then sat up and scowled at the two of them.

“What th’hell is all the noise?” he grumbled.

Tetsuya made a sound of surprise as he was dragged down onto his back and the bigger man rolled over, trapping him and invading his mouth hungrily.

“Damn! You’re pretty,” he managed between kisses as Tetsuya struggled beneath him, “Smell good too. Mmmm, hold still, okay?”

“Stop it!” Tetsuya snapped, flushing all over and trying to push Kenpachi away, “L-let go of me!”

“Whoa!” Kisuke exclaimed, sending a jolt of kido through Kenpachi and dropping him on top of Tetsuya.

The slighter man struggled harder, writhing and trying to escape.

“Get him off of me!” Tetsuya gasped, “He’s gone mad!”

“Sorry, Tetsuya,” Kisuke said penitently, rolling the unconscious captain onto his side so that Tetsuya could slide out from under him, “Don’t know why he did that. I mean, I’ve been noticing that there’s a weirdly high amount of resonance between the two of you. It’s got to be what’s affecting the two of you.”

“Affecting _me_?” Tetsuya asked, sounding offended, “I didn’t want that monster on top of me, kissing me like that. I don’t even know him!”

Tetsuya’s jaw dropped as he realized that the bedroom door had opened and Byakuya and Ichigo had heard his last objection. Tetsuya’s face went pale as Byakuya’s dark eyes flashed with sudden, intense anger.

“Did I just hear you correctly, Tetsuya?” he asked icily, “Did you say that beast was _on top of you and kissing you against your will_?”

“Oh!” Tetsuya managed, his flesh trying to blush and go pale at the same time, “It seems it wasn’t his fault, Byakuya. Something strange was compelling him.”

Kisuke gave Tetsuya a knowing smirk.

“Seems like it’s affecting you too,” he commented, nodding in the direction of the slighter man’s swollen manhood that was barely covered by his rumpled yukata.

Tetsuya stared down at his nether region in surprise and found himself lost for words.

“ _What exactly_ is going on here?” Byakuya demanded, pressing a hand against the small bump on his abdomen, “Why was that beast kissing Tetsuya, and why would Tetsuya being reacting physically and objecting verbally? I want an immediate explanation!”

“R-right,” Kisuke said, looking in confusion from Kenpachi to Tetsuya and back again, “I’ll uh, give you that explanation as soon as I have one, okay? I mean, obviously, Tetsuya and Kenpachi are resonating at an ungodly level. I can’t even think of why right now, but I will, of course, get right on figuring it out. Just uh, don’t kill anyone, all right? I need these two alive and well. _I_ need to be alive and well, if I’m gonna figure out what’s going on here. Look, why don’t you and Ichigo go and let Tessai make something for you to eat? You don’t want your reiatsu to get unbalanced. Just give me a few minutes to take some readings, run a couple of tests and I will let you visit with Tetsuya all you want. All right?”

Byakuya scowled.

“Fine,” he said shortly, “Just make sure that primitive _ape_ keeps his hands off of my cousin!”

“That’s no problem!” Kisuke laughed anxiously, “I’ll just keep him under until I’m done and Tetsuya can skedaddle before he wakes up. How’s that?”

Ichigo and the shopkeeper exchanged looks of wary amusement as Byakuya whirled and disappeared down the hall.

“Hey uh, take care of him, okay?” Kisuke said in a concerned tone, “I know he’s pissed, but it’s not good for him to get so hot and bothered like that.”

“I’ll calm him down,” Ichigo promised, “Just, you’d better keep your promise to get Tetsuya out of here before Kenpachi wakes up. If he was jumping on the poor guy before…”

“I won’t let it happen again,” Kisuke assured him, “It’ll be fine. Now, run along and go make sure your husband eats.”

Kisuke watched as Ichigo left, then closed the door and fell with his back against it with a perplexed sigh. He realized then that Tetsuya was still watching him and gave the younger, less angry Kuchiki a genuine smile.

“Whew! That was a close one, eh?” he chuckled, “I thought your cousin was gonna kick me through a wall and send Kenpachi tumbling after.”

“He looked ready to,” Tetsuya agreed.

Tetsuya’s expression faded into a worried frown.

“Mr. Urahara,” he said, more seriously, “what do you think is going on between this man and me? You said that it was a strong resonance. I understand the concept of resonances and the symptoms, but why would we resonate like this? We don’t even know each other! He did rescue me, but he had more interest in fighting than he did in the rescuing part. Why are we seeming to be attracted to each other?”

“I’m working on that,” Kisuke promised, taking Tetsuya’s hands in his, “Now, I need you to think back. You said something before about the bad guys who grabbed you, talking to you and something they said was kind of weird. We didn’t get to discuss that because you were still kinda groggy before. So, do you remember what they said that struck you as odd, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya nodded.

“They called me _little transcendent_ ,” he remembered, “They surrounded us and kept telling me to _accept my fate_. I don’t understand. I don’t have a transcendent power. I have a bankai, but…I am not exceptional.”

“Well,” Kisuke said, cocking his head slightly, “there are ways of learning if you have the potential to grow into transcendence. If you have a bankai, you certainly are a candidate for that kind of thing, although transcendents are rare, and a lot of them don’t live long enough to grow into their powers. I can find out if you could have a budding power like that, but I’m gonna warn you right now, if you do, it could change your life pretty drastically.”

Tetsuya gave the shopkeeper a sad look and sighed.

“Well, if those people have already sensed this in me, it’s not something that I will be able to keep secret.”

“No,” Kisuke agreed somberly, “It’s going to put you in constant danger and I have a feeling that Kenpachi’s connection with you could actually be a form of royal protection for you.”

“Royal protection?” Tetsuya mused, “but Mr. Urahara, I am not even a full noble. I was not chosen to serve the king against the quincies. Why would he want me to serve him now? I find it hard to believe that I am the best candidate. This is all so strange!”

“Well, don’t worry, all right?” Kisuke said bracingly, “I’m gonna get to the bottom of this and I will see that you have all of the protection that you need. And you know that Byakuya will be there for you. And although I know Kenpachi isn’t exactly prince charming, the upshot is that he doesn’t want you to die. He’ll fight to protect you.”

“I suppose,” Tetsuya said doubtfully, “but only so long as his desire to fight is stronger than his desire to bed me.”

“Well, you can’t exactly blame the guy for wanting to do that,” Kisuke chuckled, patting Tetsuya on a flushed cheek, “You’re beautiful. Who wouldn’t notice someone like you?”

Tetsuya sighed regretfully.

“The women of noble, who dislike me for my common blood, and the peasant women, who dislike me for my noble blood. And anyway, I don’t think I could ever lie down with a woman. To penetrate someone seems too much like violence.”

“But, if I remember correctly, you let your cellmate, Naoki, make love to you.”

“He penetrated me,” Tetsuya clarified.

“But isn’t that violence too?” Kisuke asked, frowning.

“I can bear pain,” Tetsuya explained, “I just can’t tolerate the thought of causing another pain by penetration. It just feels wrong.”

Kiauke gave Tetsuya a kind, sad smile and let out a soft breath, patting the young man’s cheek.

“They messed you up pretty good in that place, didn’t they?” he sighed, “I don’t know how someone as gentle as you even survived something like that. But trust me on this, Tetsuya. A resonance always has meaning. It is never a mistake. If you have been granted some kind of transcendent power and you are bonded to Kenpachi, there are good reasons for that. It’s your fate, your destiny…”

He paused, shaking his head and chuckling as Kenpachi began to snore loudly again.

“And it’s his fate too,” he added, “You just need to be as calm as you can and be open hearted. A good kid like you shouldn’t have any problem with that, right?”

Tetsuya looked more closely at Kenpachi, examining the slightly scowling, scarred face, the man’s tall, powerful build, his wild, but surprisingly soft black hair, and hands Tetsuya knew could be both deadly and gentle.

“He…frightens me,” Tetsuya admitted, “He is unpredictable…untamed…sometimes deadly.”

“Yeah,” Kisuke agreed, squeezing Tetsuya’s hands gently again, “He’s all of those things. But this resonance with you makes him something different. It makes him your protector. He proved that by getting you away from those nuts who were trying to sacrifice you. For whatever reason, the soul king decided you needed this guy to protect you. He’s scary, rough around the edges and definitely not what you’re used to…but he’s also on your side. Keep exploring that, and I think you’ll find your way okay.”

Tetsuya took a steadying breath and nodded.

“V-very well,” he said more calmly, “I will try to understand him.”

“That’s good,” the shopkeeper said kindly, “Now, if you’re really too spooked by him, you’re welcome to have a room of your own. I’ve done what tests I can and I’m just waiting for a lot of results. There are plenty of other guest rooms.”

Tetsuya continued to gaze curiously at the sleeping captain.

“I think maybe I should stay here,” he decided, “I do want to learn more about this connection between us. I am not going to do that by running away from him. Instead, I should help care for him. He looked out for me, for whatever reason. I owe him the same.”

Kisuke nodded approvingly.

“His physical injuries were healed when the connection between the two of you flared, but there is residual pain. You can sense it if you are in physical contact with him, so that you can place a pain block for him. You know how to do that, right?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya answered, his heart fluttering anxiously as he leaned over the bigger man, “As Byakuya’s bodyguard, I was fully trained in battlefield healing.”

“Heh,” Kisuke chuckled, “I think you’ll probably be using that knowledge a lot, now that you’re mixed up with Captain Zaraki.”

Tetsuya placed a hand on Kenpachi’s muscular chest, bowing his head and focusing. Within a moment, he picked up several indicators of pain in the bigger man’s body. He touched each area briefly, blushing at the more intimate ones, then he set the pain block, using a gentle infusion of his reiatsu. He looked up at Kisuke, who smiled and nodded.

“Couldn’t have done that better, myself,” he complimented Tetsuya.

“That feels good…better,” Kenpachi mumbled, fixing a sleepy eye on Tetsuya, “Thanks, beautiful.”

Tetsuya started to answer, then froze, staring as he encountered Kenpachi’s feral, green eyes. He felt a catch in his chest and a telling twinge in his loins. Fresh color roared over his pale face and he swallowed hard in response.

“You okay?” Kenapchi asked, laying a large, rough hand on his, where it still rested on the big man’s chest.

“Eh…erm, yes,” Tetsuya managed, “I am f-fine. I was just…your eyes. I don’t think I had looked directly into them before.”

Kenpachi gave him a lopsided smirk.

“Like’em?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya confessed softly, “They are very unique. Lovely, like a wild thing’s eyes.”

“That’s great!” Kisuke said enthusiastically, “So, now that the two of you are busy getting to know each other, I’m gonna slip outta here and go crunch the mountain of data I’ve collected on you two. Just, ah, behave yourself, Captain Zaraki. Tetsuya’s a sweet kid. Be nice to him.”

“Scram,” Kenpachi said tersely, “I’m busy talking to _beautiful_ here.”

“You’ve got it,” Kisuke snickered, exiting the room.

Tetsuya looked quietly into Kenpachi’s aggressive gaze, contemplating for a moment and searching for the right words.

“I haven’t had a chance to really thank you for rescuing me,” he said finally.

“I haven’t had the chance to thank you for leading me to a good fight,” Kenpachi answered, “It was the first good fight I’ve had since I slaughtered my mentor.”

“W-well,” Tetsuya stammered uncertainly, “um, you’re welcome, I suppose. Although, I didn’t really mean to get into trouble. Those men just sort of grabbed me.”

“Well, if they come after you again, I’ll slaughter them too,” Kenpachi said easily.

“Do you enjoy killing so much?” Tetsuya asked, feeling a little shiver inside.

“Naw,” Kenpachi drawled, “not the killing. I like getting the good fight, really pushing the limits. Sometimes, that means I kill.”

“Do you want to kill me?” Tetsuya asked.

Kenpachi’s chest rumbled with soft laughter.

“No way.”

“No?” Tetsuya inquired, frowning curiously, “Why not?”

“You’re too pretty to cut up,” Kenpachi answered in an oddly affectionate voice, “and besides, you have powerful enemies. If I stay close to you, I may just get the fight of my life.”

Tetsuya made a sound of surprise as he was pulled down suddenly and held close to Kenpachi’s warm, strong body. He started to struggle, then went still and quiet as he felt the steady, powerful beat of the big man’s heart, beneath his muscular breast. He rested his head upon that place, his face calm and his eyes looking up at Kenpachi’s contented expression.

“Just stay there while I sleep,” Kenpachi murmured, “Don’t want you getting away from me, beautiful.”


	3. Ugliness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya is furious over the strong connection between his cousin and Kenpachi.

Tetsuya laid quietly in Kenpachi’s strong embrace, oddly entranced by the sounds of the man’s rumbling snore. He was sure that such a thing should be grating. But instead, it struck his mind like an aggressive purring. It combined with the steady beat of the man’s heart and lulled Tetsuya into a deeply tranquil state. As Kenpachi slept, Tetsuya’s eyes studied the bigger man’s scarred face and the parts of his body that weren’t covered by his blankets or his carelessly loose yukata.

_Everything on the surface of this man is rough, to the point of being frightening. But he came from the low Rukongai. He had to look frightening to survive. And rather than be embarrassed by the markings, he takes pride in the battles that marked him. I was wrong before, when I concluded that he enjoyed killing. He enjoys the physical challenge of fighting. When I fight, I do not enjoy doing so. I fight when I have to, but I do not take pleasure in it. And even when I fight, I avoid killing when it isn’t necessary. Kenpachi doesn’t seem to enjoy killing either. I have heard from Byakuya-sama that most often, if he strikes hard enough to just incapacitate his opponent, then he stops fighting them. I suppose then, he did not want to kill Unohana Taichou. It still confuses me, but…_

Tetsuya’s thoughts fled abruptly as Kenpachi’s green eyes opened, blinked slowly, then settled on him. His heart thumped painfully in his chest and his mouth went dry at the unabashed lust betrayed by the big man’s expression.

_I mustn’t let myself be afraid of him. He said he doesn’t want to hurt me. He instead protected me. And now that he has regained his senses, he will not assault me. I can see he wants very much to have sex with me, but I am far from ready and I don’t want to tease him._

“Why’re you lookin’ at me like that?” Kenpachi asked, making Tetsuya flinch and blush furiously, “I’m not gonna do anything to you that you don’t want.”

He gave Tetsuya a crooked smile that, oddly, sent a little feeling of relief through the noble.

“Sorry about before,” Kenpachi apologized, “I think we got off to a bad start.”

Tetsuya let out an anxious laugh, relaxing more.

“I suppose that you having to save my naked body from being tortured and killed by a group of madmen is a bad way to meet,” he replied, smiling back at the bigger man.

“I meant the grabbing and kissing and climbing on top of you,” Kenpachi chuckled, “But yeah, it was kinda awkward meeting because you were about to be sacrificed by some crazy assholes. Would’ve been a waste of something so beautiful. The world can be an ugly place. We need more that’s beautiful, don’t you think?”

Tetsuya gave him a skeptical look.

“I don’t think that’s what you were thinking when you attacked those men,” he said pointedly, “You did free me, but you knocked me aside like you barely saw me at all. It was the demon that had your attention, wasn’t it?”

“Guilty as charged,” Kenpachi laughed, “Sorry, it’s no insult to you. You’re plenty good enough to look at and I do like you, I just get excited when I meet someone who might be a challenge.”

“I see that.”

“But, you know, my mentor…”

“You mean, Captain Unohana, who you killed?”

“Yeah, that’s her,” Kenpachi affirmed.

“She tried to advise you as you were slaughtering her?” Tetsuya asked, looking confused.

“Yeah,” Kenpachi snickered, “a little ironic, right? But that’s how the transfer works. The Kenpachi only raises a sword to kill or to raise the next Kenpachi. We live for the fight, and she enjoyed her last battle more than any other she ever fought.”

Tetsuya gazed back at Kenpachi, swallowing hard as the big man laughed and ruffled his hair.

“Anyway, she told me that the thing about becoming the Kenpachi is that after you do, there won’t be so many good fights anymore…because not much can stand up to you. The next Kenpachi…”

“The one that will slaughter you?” Tetsuya clarified.

“Yeah, that one,” Kenpachi went on, “That person will come to you when they’re meant to. And in between, you have to appreciate the other things around you…friends, family and the fun things we can do.”

“I think your version of fun is different than mine,” Tetsuya said, shaking his head.

“Of course it is,” Kenpachi answered with an off handed shrug, “We’re different people. But our paths have crossed in a big way and we have to decide what to do with that.”

Tetsuya took a steadying breath.

“And what does that mean, Captain Zaraki?” he asked, “Because I think you have other intentions besides hugging me like a teddy bear every night.”

“Damn straight,” Kenpachi laughed, “Thing is, I can’t figure out why I like you so much. I don’t know why I get hard just looking at you. You know, there’s plenty of pretty nobles around, but they don’t turn me on. You do. I don’t know why, but you do.”

Tetsuya blushed and nodded tentatively.

“I see that.”

“I would’ve thought that a pretty thing like you would be disgusted that someone like me was having indecent thoughts about him, but even though I scare you, I turn you on a little too, don’t I?”

Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath and flushed a darker pink.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to admit it. I can feel it when you turn those blue eyes on me. I scare you, but you’re not turned off, not even by the scars all over me.”

“W-well, you did save my life,” Tetsuya reminded him, “There are emotional things that happen when someone saves you. Byakuya saved me once, and I…”

“You let him have sex with you?” Kenpachi asked.

“N-no!” Tetsuya objected, “It was never like that between us.”

He paused at the look of challenge Kenpachi gave him.

“It wasn’t!” Tetsuya insisted, “I mean, I did become pretty obsessed with protecting him because he protected me. We have been close ever since, but we have never been lovers. This…what is happening, it’s very different.”

“Different how?” Kenpachi asked.

Tetsuya wiggled free of his embrace and sat up in the bed. He ran his fingers through the misbehaving waves of raven colored hair, earning a more heated look from Kenpachi.

“I don’t know if I can explain it. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t raised in a noble home, around other nobles. I was raised in a prison. Many of the others there were abused and a lot of them were scarred as you are. Perhaps, I became desensitized because it was a part of my environment. I do wonder about how you got them, but no, they don’t disgust me. They make me curious about you.”

“You wanna know more about me?” Kenpachi asked, looking more that a little pleased, “Really?”

“Yes, actually,” Tetsuya confessed, “I have seen you fight and I have heard stories about you, but I don’t really know you. Given that you saved my life and we have this curios attraction to each other, I would like to find out more about you.”

Kenpachi gave Tetsuya a sly smile.

“Well, how about you just let me have one little kiss and I’ll tell you one story about me? How about that? We both get something we want, right? It’s a fair deal.”

“Ah,” Tetsuya said uncertainly, an even deeper blush roarin across his face and throat.

“I promise I won’t maul you or anything. I just really like kissing you. And you’re getting something too, eh?”

“I suppose I don’t mind, as we have already crossed that line. And I am not disinterested in you.”

“You’re just shy. I get it,” Kenpachi chuckled, sitting up and curling an arm around him, “C’mere.”

“J-just a kiss? You promise?” Tetsuya inquired nervously.

“Cross my heart,” Kenpachi answered, sinking his fingers into Tetsuya’s wavy hair and pressing his lips to the noble’s.

Tetsuya’s breath escaped him at the warmth and intensity of the contact. And a jolt of surprise touched him inside as the bigger man’s mouth opened and his opened reflexively for a longer, deeper kiss. The two men were suddenly shocked out of their embrace as the door slammed open and Byakuya burst into the room. He was across the room in a flash step, kido erupting from his hands and sending Kenpachi crashing to the floor as Byakuya’s arms wrapped around his stunned cousin and whisked him away.

“How _dare_ you put your hands on my cousin!” Byakuya snapped, “I should _kill_ you!”

He turned on Kisuke as the shopkeeper ran into the room.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

“I thought that you were having that animal watched to make sure he didn’t rape my cousin!” Byakuya shouted, “Now I find them unattended and that beast crawling all over Tetsuya? Outrageous!”

“Whoa, whoa, just a sec,” Kisuke said, holding his hands up as the furious Kuchiki leader bore down on him, dragging Tetsuya along, “It’s not what you think. I was monitoring them. I…”

“He really didn’t do anything I didn’t allow,” Tetsuya offered, breathing a sigh of relief as Ichigo flash stepped into the room.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” he asked, looking confused.

“Your damned boyfriend just ruined a really good kiss,” Kenpachi complained, picking himself up off of the floor.”

“He was about to force himself on my cousin!” Byakuya seethed.

“I was not!” Kenpachi yelled back, “He agreed to kiss me if I would tell him a story about me growing up. That’s all!”

“You manipulated Tetsuya into kissing you?” Byakuya asked angrily, “That’s no better!”

“I was curious about him,” Tetsuya explained, “and the truth is, Captain Zaraki and I are experiencing a sort…attraction to each other.”

Byakuya blinked in surprise, turning his glaring orbs on his cousin.

“What did you say? You are attracted to this…this… _barbarian_?”

“He did save my life.”

“But that’s no reason for the man to crawl all over you,” Byakuya objected, calming only slightly as Ichigo slipped a bracing arm around him, “Tetsuya, he tried to attack you before.”

“I was groggy from being knocked out,” Kenpachi explained, “I told Tetsuya I wouldn’t do anything he doesn’t agree to.”

“And then you talked him into exchanging kisses for your stories.”

“I was trying to get him to relax with me!”

“You were softening him up so that you could get him to go to bed with you!” Byakuya accused him.

“I’m not trying to get him in the sack!” Kenpachi snapped, “I just wanna get to know him better. And is there anything wrong with two people deciding they want to get to know each other?”

Byakuya gave his fellow captain a stony look.

“If you want to court my cousin, you will do so in an honorable manner, and you will only do so after asking his leader’s permission!”

“Okay,” Kenpachi said gamely, “Can I date your cousin?”

“ _Not in this lifetime_!” Byakuya hissed, “There is no way that you are putting hands on Tetsuya again!”

“B-but I told him that…”

“Tetsuya, we are going back to Kuchiki Manor,” Byakuya said sternly.

“But we’re here so that Kisuke can take care of you,” Ichigo objected, “Kisuke’s the best person to help you deliver, and you know it. You don’t want to go back home now.”

“I am not staying here and watching that monster brutalize my cousin.”

“He wasn’t hurting me!” Tetsuya exclaimed, “And I wasn’t unwilling to kiss him. I was just shy and confused. That’s all. He was gentle with me, and he expressed a desire to court me properly, not to brutalize me. It is all right, _watashi no itoko_. I feel as he does.”

“Tetsuya, how can you?” Byakuya mused, shaking his head, “You are a beautiful, intelligent person, and you have a loving heart. All that this man knows is how to kill! How could you…?”

“I know it’s hard to understand,” Tetsuya went on, “But the truth is, it isn’t killing that Kenpachi loves. He is the Kenpachi. He loves the challenge of an intense fight. He doesn’t enjoy killing. He didn’t enjoy killing his mentor at all. Killing her means that no fight he will have will be as enthralling…not until he raises the next Kenpachi.”

“Yes,” Byakuya said, calming slightly and taking his cousin’s hand, “Which is when he will die and leave you. Tetsuya, you have already lost someone dear to you. How could you want to tie yourself to one who will only die and leave you alone again? What future is there for you in accepting a courtship with that man?”

“Well,” Kenpachi said, giving Byakuya a cheeky grin, “I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.”

“Byakuya,” Kisuke said, stepping in, “I promise you. I was watching and fully ready to protect Tetsuya. This agitation isn’t good for you so late in your gestation. I want you to go and lie down and Tessai will bring you something to eat. I need to have a look at you to see how your body is handling the stress.”

“I am fine,” Byakuya said irritably.

Ichigo held Byakuya back as the usually calm noble lunged at him.

“O-kay, I think that’s enough,” Kisuke said, stepping in between the two, “Tetsuya, why don’t you come with us. I need to have another look at you. Kenpachi…y-you…just try to get some sleep…”

“Fuck that,” Kenpachi snorted, “I’m fine. I’m getting outta here.”

“But I’m not done with you yet,” Kisuke objected, “I am still…”

“I’m sure you can figure things out,” he chuckled, heading for the door, heedless of the fact that his yukata had falled open, revealing his aroused nether region.

Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath and Byakuya’s reiatsu flared dangerously. Kisuke used a hand fan to hide the fact he was snickering and Ichigo bit his lips to keep from smiling and angering his lovely mate. Kenpachi stepped past them, pausing to kiss Tetsuya on a flushed cheek.

“See ya’ later, _beautiful_ ,” he purred in the noble’s ear, leaving Tetsuya weak-kneed as he watched the big man leave.

“Close your mouth, Tetsuya,” Byakuya said sternly.

Tetsuya’s mouth snapped shut and he felt his blush spread over what must have been his whole body.

“I am sorry,” Tetsuya said penitently, moving to sit down on the edge of the bed, “What you must think of me.”

Byakuya looked down at him, lost for words.

“I don’t think any of us holds anything against you,” Ichigo said bracingly, “So, Kenpachi saved you and you are interested in getting to know him better.”

“But technically, I should have done the getting to know part first and allowed him to court me after we knew each other better.”

Ichigo gave Byakuya a meaningful look and the Kuchiki leader blushed at his spouse’s next words.

“Sometimes things don’t happen according to what’s proper or traditional. Sometimes love hits you like lightning and there’s no being proper about it. Byakuya, you know that you and I were like that. I know you don’t approve of Kenpachi, but you have to admit, there is a resonance between them.”

“Like you would know,” Byakuya snipped at him shortly, “You are just like that brute, Kenpachi, in that you cannot even sense reiatsu connections…”

“Unless they’re really strong,” Ichigo agreed, “So, if Kenpachi and I are feeling the resonance between Kenpachi and Tetsuya, then it’s pretty damned strong. And you told me, yourself, that resonances that are very strong are no mistake. They exist for a reason.”

“Ah, you choose now to listen to and remember every word I’ve said to you?” Byakuya sighed.

“I always listen to you,” Ichigo said, leaning over to kiss Byakuya’s frowning lips, “I love you. I want to make you happy. And I don’t think you’ll end up being happy if you try to mess with a strong resonance. Remember what you said to the elders.”

“It is not for us to stand in the way of fate,” Byakuya said reluctantly, “I understand this…but what I do not understand is why Tetsuya? Why that man? Tetsuya is loving and gentle.”

“Kenpachi is the same way with Tetsuya,” Kisuke said firmly, “I told you I was watching them. What happened, happened with Tetsuya’s full consent.”

“But how could you want this?” Byakuya said more earnestly, “Tetsuya, you are nothing like him!”

“I know,” Tetsuya answered in a flustered tone, “I know it isn’t proper and I know it seems wrong, but I can’t deny that I am attracted to him. I knew inside from the moment his hands touched me, took hold of me and tore me away from those monsters that were trying to sacrifice me. It was like…something told me that it was all meant to happen. I felt…drawn to him for reasons that I can’t explain to myself, let alone you. I am sorry to have disappointed you, Byakuya…”

Byakuya shook his head firmly.

“You haven’t disappointed me, Tetsuya. I was only worried for what will happen if…for what will happen when you allow him to court you. I don’t want you to be hurt.”

Tetsuya measured his words carefully before replying with words that shocked all present into silence.

“Then…if you don’t want me to be hurt, perhaps you should make him my protector.”


	4. We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya takes an unexpected step with Tetsuya and Kenpachi.

“Tell me again why I agreed to this nonsense?” Byakuya complained, scowling at his reflection as his attendant’s careful hands wrapped his formal black kimono around his pregnant form, “I look _ridiculous_!”

“You look beautiful,” Ichigo assured him, leaning in to kiss his angry spouse’s flushed cheek, “Come on, you wouldn’t tell Rukia not to go out in public, now that Renji knocked her up, would you? You have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not like you’re having this kid out of wedlock. I married you.”

“Barely in time,” Byakuya hissed, flushing, “There’s enough talk going around about this, and now Kenpachi is after my cousin.”

“Well, he hasn’t gotten Tetsuya pregnant yet. They’re just getting to know each other,” Ichigo reasoned, “And beside, we both saw how big he is. I don’t think he’s gonna be able to even…”

He found himself stopped forcibly as Byakuya tore away from his attendant and clapped a hand over Ichigo’s offending mouth.

“ _You_ are _not_ helping!” the Kuchiki leader seethed.

“Mmmph! S-sorry,” Ichigo apologized, pulling Byakuya’s hand away from his mouth and kissing the soft fingertips, “I shouldn’t have said that. But look, the two have…”

“I know!” Byakuya said, bristling, “They have a resonance. I am respecting that. It is, in fact, the only reason, besides being extremely pregnant, that I have not killed that detestable _man-beast_!”

“I know Kenpachi gets on your nerves…”

“Gets on my nerves?” Byakuya repeated sarcastically, his grey eyes flashing, “That monstrous _thing_ is trying to seduce my cousin! And Tetsuya is innocent. He is just trying to do what he feels is right, but letting himself be bedded by that lumbering fool just cannot be the right thing!”

“All right,” Ichigo soothed him, rubbing Byakuya’s hands and kissing his scowling lips, “I agree. There’s reason to worry, but you have to be careful, Byakuya. You’ve gotta take care of yourself and this baby. Now, it seems like Tetsuya’s got Kenpachi holding back and taking more time.”

“Until the next time his loins take over, yes,” Byakuya said haughtily.

“Okay, so the situation is under control and Kisuke’s watching them.”

“He was also _watching_ them when Kenpachi ended up on top of Tetsuya, kissing him against his will. I am not reassured in any way by that!”

Byakuya paused and a look of discomfort rose on his face as a sharp pain jolted his insides.

“Ah!” he gasped, grabbing Ichigo’s hand.

“Byakuya-sama!” the Kuchiki leader’s attendant exclaimed.

“Torio, go and get Kisuke, all right?”

“I will!” the attendant answered, flash stepping out of the room.

Ichigo guided his agitated spouse to the bed and Byakuya sat down on the edge, turning to lean on Ichigo’s warm shoulder. Ichigo curled an arm around him and kissed him comfortingly as his hand rubbed Byakuya’s baby bump, infusing the area gently with his reiatsu.

“I am sorry,” Byakuya said, clinging to his shoulder, “You must think I am acting like a child. I do not usually…”

“I know you,” Ichigo said, smiling and kissing him again, “It’s the hormones that are making you react so strongly. Just relax for a minute, okay? You and the baby are gonna be fine, but all of this getting worked up over Tetsuya and Kenpachi is unsettling your reiatsu. Just try to put it out of your mind for a little while. Tetsuya and Kenpachi are going to take things slowly. Kisuke’s watching them, and even though Kenpachi’s persistence surprised him at first, he knows now to watch more closely and to step in if Tetsuya’s in trouble.”

“That crackpot scientist is barely better than Kenpachi,” Byakuya complained more quietly, “He never seems to stop wanting to tamper with the natural order of things. He carelessly got thrown out of Soul Society before and he dragged Yoruichi along with him. I don’t want him dragging Tetsuya down a road like that!”

“I thought you didn’t like Yoruichi because she teased you as a boy,” Ichigo chuckled, nuzzling Byakuya’s blushing cheek.

“I dislike her for many reasons.”

“I don’t think that’s true at all,” Ichigo accused him gently, “I’ve seen how you two have worked together in a few battles after she came back with me. You two are pretty comfortable with each other, even though you pretend to not get along.”

Byakuya let out a flustered breath and burrowed into Ichigo’s shoulder, pressing his lips against his ginger-haired mate’s soft throat.

“Can we stop speaking about _them_?” he asked more calmly.

The door to the guest room opened and Kisuke entered, wearing a concerned expression.

“Are you all right, Byakuya?” the shopkeeper asked, “You scared the daylights out of Torio, here. Didn’t you hear me tell you to take it easy?”

“I heard you,” Byakuya said wearily, lifting his head from Ichigo’s shoulder to look back at Kisuke, “It is just…”

“I know it’s a lot to handle,” Kisuke agreed preemptively, “but please trust me. I like Tetsuya, and I’m not going to let Kenpachi or anyone else, hurt him. You’ve got to calm down and take care of yourself. Your reiatu intensity and the fact that you and Ichigo are powerful shinigamis is making the kid’s reiatsu develop at a faster rate. I guarantee you that if you don’t get yourself under control, you’re going to be having this kid tonight.”

“At least if I had the baby, I could show that loathsome man my extreme displeasure,” Byakuya sighed, “I only want what is best for my cousin, and I cannot believe that what is best for Tetsuya is being manhandled and molested by that overgrown monkey.”

“No one’s manhandling anyone,” Kisuke assured him, extending a hand that held a small monitor, “Look for yourself. They’re just holding each other and sleeping.”

The men studied the image of the two snuggling with Kenpachi’s fingers sunk into Tetsuya’s soft hair, and Ichigo gave Byakuya a little smile.

“No trouble, right?” he said bracingly, “They’re kind of cute like that.”

“Shut up, fool,” Byakuya snapped softly, his fingertip tracing the contented smile his cousin wore, “Get ready. In an hour, we’ll be making Kenpachi his official bodyguard.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya woke to the tender feeling of Kenpachi’s rough fingers sliding through the misbehaving strands of his wavy black hair. He kept his eyes closed, allowing the contact and rubbing his cheek against the big man’s clothed breast. Kenpachi’s lips, as rough skinned as his hands, kissed the crown of the younger man’s head, then he teasingly pulled on Tetsuya’s hair to tilt his head back, lifting his chin so that the two men could exchange a slow, open-mouthed kiss. Tetsuya flinched as he felt the thickening of Kenpachi’s ample arousal, but he calmed at the sight of the big man’s warm eyes.

“Just try to ignore that monster in my pants for right now,” Kenpachi chuckled, “I can take care of it later. Just keep kissing me, all right?”

Tetsuya gave him a shy smile and pressed his lips to Kenpachi’s wider smiling ones. He surprised the powerful captain by moving his lips, revealing the swell of his own awakened penis.

“I don’t think it’s fair to arouse you and not to offer you comfort,” Tetsuya said softly, “I will ask you not to try to penetrate me. Please, let’s just rub against each other for now.”

“You sure about that?” Kenpachi asked, “I don’t want you doing anything you’re not sure about.”

“I am sure that I am not ready for lovemaking,” Tetsuya reasoned, “but I need relief from my arousal also.”

“I can give you that,” Kenpachi growled, his feral eyes blinking slowly, “You just go at your own pace. I’m here.”

Tetsuya took a shaky breath and nodded, then moved his hips in a measured, unhurried fashion. Kenpachi’s breath caught, and his eyes fell into Tetsuya’s, signaling the powerful desire he was repressing. He only moved against the slighter man in the same gentle way, making Tetsuya pant and moan restlessly as they reacted to the intense friction between their still-clothed cocks.

Tetsuya dropped down onto Kenpachi’s bare chest, seeking the wetness and warmth of his biting mouth as they continued their increasingly powerful undulations. A heady groan escaped Tetsuya’s lips as the big man’s hands wrapped around his clothed buttocks, pulling insistently and Kenpachi’s hungry growls set Tetsuya’s heart racing so fast that his head began to spin. He felt a sensation like the beginning of a long fall, and the hard clenching of Kenpachi’s hands that tightened on his bottom, holding him still.

“H-hold on, angel,” the big man groaned, his eyes rolling back and his huge body quaking.

Bright reiatsu expoded all around the two and Kenpachi swore heatedly as his body seized and surrendered to heavy shudders of overwhelming bliss. Tetsuya couldn’t help but be awed at the sight of the Gotei’s most vicious fighter, stretched out on his back, his scarred face a mask of pleasure and his hands still holding on tightly to Tetsuya’s round derriere. He came violently, moaning Kenpachi’s name as he was overwhelmed.

Neither noticed that the door had opened, and that Ichigo stood, holding Byakuya back forcibly as Kisuke bit his lips, trying to hold back a smile.

“Well, you can’t say that Tetsuya isn’t completely in control here,” Kisuke snickered, watching as Tetsuya collapsed onto Kenpachi’s chest and nuzzled under his chin.

A moment later, Tetsuya stiffened and sat up, staring down at his unmoving partner.

“Kenpachi?” he called urgently, “Are you all right? Kenpachi!”

Tetsuya’s head turned and his blue eyes rounded as he noticed the three men in the doorway. For a moment, he froze, reading the mayhem in his cousin’s eyes and the deadly spike in his reiatsu.

“S-sorry!” he managed, his heart pounding so hard his ears rang, “I was j-just offering him relief from h-his…from…”

“I think we’ve figured out what from,” Ichigo giggled, earning a withering look from his incensed husband.

“Tetsuya,” Byakuya said in a low, tightly controlled tone, “Get off of that man and go bathe yourself. Present yourself in the training room in ten minutes. _Do not_ be late!”

He looked over his shoulder to where two attendants stood waiting.

“Torio, Koji, do your best to make those two look presentable, please!” he snapped, turning on his heel and flash stepping away.

“Ah, w-well, I guess Ichigo and I will be…ah…we’re gonna head down…erm, I mean, we’ll be in the training room too,” Kisuke stammered, taking Ichigo’s arm and tugging him out of the room.

Tetsuya stood, barely on his feet, blushing furiously as the attendants entered the room.

“Master Tetsuya,” Koji said bracingly, “I will…”

“But he’s unconscious!” Tetsuya objected, seeming to finally realize the others had gone.

“I will take care of Captain Zaraki,” Torio assured him, “Please let Koji help you bathe.”

“Are you sure he’ll be all right?” Tetsuya asked worriedly, “Shouldn’t someone come and look at him?”

“He’ll be all right,” Torio said bracingly, giving Tetsuya a comforting smile, “Master Tetsuya just seems to have overwhelmed Captain Zaraki with his…affections. Don’t worry, I will take care of him.”

Tetsuya was sure the flush on his skin couldn’t get any darker. His eyes still worried, he followed Koji into the bathroom. The attendant walked to the shower and began to heat the water, while Tetsuya started to disrobe. He felt a strange flicker in the air around him and odd whispers rose up in his mind.

_Accept your fate…accept your fate…accept your fate…._

“Did you hear that?” Tetsuya asked, making Koji blink in surprise at the question.

“Sorry, did I hear what?” Koji inquired, frowning, “I hear only the water from the shower. Is everything all right, Master Tetsuya?”

Giving no answer, Tetsuya crept to the nearby window and peeked out, looking around at the shop gardens outside.

“Master Tetsuya?” Koji called softly, “What’s wrong? Should I go and bring Lord Byakuya?”

Tetsuya let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, returning to his attendant and stepping into the shower.

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry,” he apologized, “Please hurry, Koji. Byakuya doesn’t like waiting, and he’s angry enough at me as it is.”

“Oh, I don’t think he’s angry with you, Master Tetsuya,” Koji assured him, “He is just more reactive because of his condition. You shouldn’t take it to heart.”

“He doesn’t like Kenpachi,” Tetsuya worried, “and our behavior was inappropriate and poorly timed. What my cousin must think of me!”

“I think Lord Byakuya is too busy being angry with Captain Zaraki to be angry with you,” Koji chuckled.

“But, it isn’t Captain Zaraki’s fault,” Tetsuya complained, “We are resonating at a high level and very attracted to each other. He’s not very good at hiding what he’s thinking.”

“Or the fact that you make him aroused,” Koji laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Tetsuya couldn’t hold back his own softer laugh.

“Maybe it wasn’t so obvious,” Tetsuya admitted, his blush returning, “but he makes me feel that way too. I feel kind of dizzy just looking at his eyes. They’re like the eyes of a wild animal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful.”

“He is a very striking person,” Koji commented, “He’s quite different from the way you described your Naoki.”

“Naoki was barely older than me,” Tetsuya recalled, “We were pale from being in the dark and very thin from not eating enough.

Tetsuya stepped into the shower and let the water run down his body, while Koji disrobed and placed a small wrap around his waist before following. He stood behind Tetsuya, lathering his slender body with gentle, caring hands, while Tetsuya continued to ponder.

“Captain Zaraki is so very tall,” he mused, “and there are battle scars all over his body. I know most people think that scars are ugly…”

He paused and looked down at the lingering scars on his own body from the time of his incarceration.

“But, scars on a person’s body are truth,” he went on, “They tell the story, even when people don’t want it to be heard. My scars tell the story of my imprisonment and torture. His tell the story of a life in the low Rukongai and the struggle to stay alive. They tell the story of a man who has learned to love battle, one who lives and breathes to cross swords.”

“It seems strange that a gentle person like you would desire someone like him,” Koji commented, “Not to be rude, sir.”

Tetsuya smiled sadly.

“I am a gentle person,” he agreed, “but what happened to me was anything but gentle. Life has been cruel to us both, although we have taken different paths in bearing it. It seems natural to me that we would recognize each others’ pain and feel a connection. What confuses me is the strength of what we are feeling.”

The two young men quieted as Koji quickly finished bathing his master, then dressed Tetsuya in a lovely royal blue kimono with a slightly darker blue tie. He dried and combed Tetsuya’s hair to a shine, making a small braid on the left side and affixing to the end a small, pale blue ceramic clip that had a single cherry blossom painted onto it. They left the bathroom and joined a now conscious Kenpachi in the bedroom, where Torio was helping him into a cleaned and mended uniform. Tetsuya retrieved his weapon and set it at his waist as Torio armed the Gotei captain. Tetsuya fell in at Kenpachi’s side and the two walked out into the hallway.

“You look pretty in that,” Kenpachi commented, “You trying to tease me?”

“I am dressing properly for the ceremony,” Tetsuya said, smirking up at him.

“You’d think we were going to a wedding.”

“Well, making someone a family protector is a pretty serious thing to us,” Tetsuya explained, “and we are actually not following strict procedure. When I was made Byakuya’s protector, all of the elders were in attendance and the blessings and speeches took hours!”

“Sounds boring as hell,” Kenpachi chuckled.

“It was,” Tetsuya agreed, “All I really cared about was being able to guard my cousin. I owe Byakuya my life.”

“Hey, I saved you too,” Kenpachi teased.

“That is why Byakuya hasn’t killed you for touching me,” Tetsuya laughed, “although, you should be careful not to tease him while he’s still with child.”

“Yeah, he gets real worked up and we can’t even fight to let off steam. No fun at all. I hope you’re not like that when…”

Tetsuya paused and blinked in surprise, looking up at the bigger man.

“Someday, when you get married and have kids,” he finished.

They reached the ladder at the end of the hallway and descended together into the huge underground training room. To their surprise, a small area had been handsomely decorated in an official manner with one pedestal for Byakuya to stand on, and one for Kenpachi to kneel on.

“Just go and get on one knee on the platform,” Tetsuya instructed him, “and you just have to say _I will_.”

“This _is_ like a wedding,” Kenpachi snickered.

He moved forward and knelt on the larger platform, while Tetsuya joined Byakuya on the smaller, higher one.

“Kenpachi Zaraki,” Byakuya said in a formal tone, “Having proven your honor and your dedication to my cousin’s safety, you are hereby named Tetsuya Kuchiki’s sworn protector. Will you vow to keep Tetsuya safe from all threats and to honor him always with your actions and your words?”

“Yeah,” Kenpachi agreed, looking up into Tetsuya’s blue eyes, “I will.”

“The Kuchiki clan is considered the greatest of the noble clans, and I warn you that with this assignment, you will be expected to conduct yourself in a fashion that brings honor to our name. And your sword must never fail to stop any threat from reaching Tetsuya. The only means of failing is by dying, yourself. Shield him, even should you be forced to do so on your last breaths.”

“I’ve got it,” Kenpachi interrupted, “Fight to the death to protect him and don’t let him die.”

Byakuya glowered at him, but said nothing in reply. He turned and took Tetsuya’s hand, guiding him down to the larger, lower platform and standing in front of Kenpachi. Very gently, he set his cousin’s slender hand in Kenpachi’s much larger, rougher one and he glared into his comrade’s eyes warningly.

“Remember your promise,” he snapped softly.

Kenpachi grinned roguishly, bringing Tetsuya’s hand to his lips and kissing it tenderly.

“You’ve got it, princess.”

Byakuya’s reiatsu flared and his eyes flashed, but he only turned and walked back to the higher platform.

“May your sword shatter any who dare to take aim on your protected,” he said, closing his eyes.

“Oh,” Kenpachi laughed, “it will.”


	5. Fire and Ice: The Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenpachi and Tetsuya explore their connection and make a startling discovery.

Tetsuya slipped out of his guest room and headed down the hallway and out into the little garden in the back of Kisuke’s shop. He stood quietly, his blue eyes focused on a little waterfall, while his mind worked at a tangle of thoughts that revolved around his connection to the now sleeping and loudly snoring eleventh division captain.

_Kenpachi is now my protector, and ever since the ceremony, I begin to feel a shift of some kind that is happening between us. There was already a powerful attraction between us, but now what I feel inside is an overwhelming desire to be one with him. And I know that just close contact with him has begun a change of some kind in Re-kuhime. She doesn’t seem to know why there is this shift occurring in our powers, only that something is changing, and as it changes, she feels not worry, but a sense of relief, as if this was all meant to happen. It has a feeling of fate about it that I cannot deny._

_What do I do about that?_

_What do we do?_

_This shining beast and me?_

“Watcha doin’ out here all alone?” Kenpachi asked, surprising Tetsuya as he wrapped hard, warm arms around him and just held him gently, “Don’t want you to get grabbed the first day I’m assigned to guard your body.”

“I think I’m safe enough in the confines of the shop,” Tetsuya reasoned, “And I needed to clear my head a bit.”

“About what?” the bigger man asked, his deep voice a rumbling purr in Tetsuya’s ear, “You Kuchikis spend a lot of time thinking. You should do more listening.”

Tetsuya gave Kenpachi a curious look.

“See,” Kenpachi continued, letting a hand slide around Tetsuya’s waist to rub his slender belly beneath his yukata, “just being close to you and touching your skin? It tells me that it’s pretty much fate that we’re together. The power in me percolates a lot when I’m around you, probably because Nozarashi knows that we were meant to keep your pretty little body safe, using violent means, if necessary. Pure instinct tells me that you and I are part of something bigger. We just need to stop thinking and go with our gut on this.”

“Is that right?” Tetsuya mused, turning to look up into Kenpachi’s green eyes.

His breath caught at the bit of gold that was beginning to take over near his pupils. The sight set off a warm, powerful reaction in his loins.

“You think that we should have sex? Simply because our bodies react strongly to each other?”

Kenpachi smiled.

“You really think this is just about the sex?” he asked, running a finger over Tetsuya’s soft lips, “Cause I think you know that there’s got to be more than just that. I’m not about fucking. I fuck things up. But I look at you, and it’s like I know my fate’s written in those pretty blue eyes of yours. I’m drawn to you like a moth to a flame, no thinking involved.”

“And what happens if I give in to you?” Tetsuya asked softly, “Because, while I am not innocent and I could offer you sexual release, my heart is not in doing so. When I feel the impulse to be with you sexually, it is about more than sex. It is about your eyes that are so deep and feral. It is about your reiatsu that boils because it wants to be inside me. It is the burn I feel on my lips when you kiss me that warn me you can barely restrain yourself. And all of this feels so familiar, though I can’t place it.”

Kenpachi’s powerful eyes narrowed.

“Tell you what,” he said, capturing Tetsuya’s face in his hands and glaring wantonly down into the younger man’s widened blue orbs, “I think you and I both know what we need to do. You’ve got your reasons and I’ve got mine, but it’s all leading us to the same place, isn’t it?”

Tetsuya gazed up at him wordlessly for several long moments, considering.

“Worst that happens is that we have a good time and you give me one more reason to want no harm to come that sweet little body of yours. Best that happens is that we find out why we seem hardwired to want each other so bad.”

Tetsuya shivered softly at the way the words made his heart pound and his mouth go dry.

“Oddly, that makes some kind of sense,” he said finally, “Very well, then. But…”

“We should go somewhere more private,” he suggested, “You got a favorite place?”

Tetsuya nodded.

“It’s in Soul Society, near Kuchiki Manor. Are you saying we should go there now?” he asked.

“Why not?” Kenpachi chuckled, “You’re trying to work things out, and I have a feeling that you’ll do that better if we get away on our own somewhere and work this out.”

Tetsuya gave him an uncertain look.

“Captain Zaraki…” he said doubtfully.

“Hey,” Kenpachi said soothingly, “I promise you that I will let you come to me. I won’t do anything that you don’t want.”

“But, what if what I want isn’t the right thing?” Tetsuya argued, “What if this intense lust between us is somehow wrong? Kami knows that Byakuya feels it’s wrong!”

“Don’t think about Byakuya,” Kenpachi purred, capturing one of Tetsuya’s hands in his and continuing to caress the younger man’s soft belly beneath his yukata.

Tetsuya felt a flicker of dizziness and a powerful urge to turn and kiss his smiling protector.

“You feel that?” Kenpachi asked.

“I do,” Tetsuya confessed, “It’s interfering with my thinking.”

“No, it’s not,” Kenpachi said, kissing the soft junction of Tetsuya’s throat and shoulder, “It’s all of that thinking that’s interfering, Tetsuya. You know, even though we’ve evolved over thousands of years and told ourselves not to listen, we have primal instincts that are meant to guide us.”

Tetsuya’s breath caught and he felt a more powerful twinge in his loins as Kenpachi’s hand slid downward, following the trail of softer black hairs to Tetsuya’s blossoming erection. He was sure he should object, but it seemed that something in his throbbing chest kept him from pulling away.

_This is the strong attraction of our resonance. And even though we have customs and rules all around it, we have not completely stepped away from recognizing our primal responses. Kenpachi is right. We do need to respect and listen to that part of ourselves. That this is such a strong impulse suggests that this is, as he has said, a matter of fate._

Tetsuya turned and looked up into Kenpachi’s affectionately glaring eyes.

“So, do you wanna go to this special place of yours?” Kenpachi asked.

Tetsuya glanced back at the shop, then up at Kenpachi again.

“Kisuke was running some additional tests to figure out…” he began.

His words stopped as Kenpachi bent and touched rough, hungry lips to Tetsuya’s, and Tetsuya couldn’t help but kiss him back.

_Oh gods, this is getting even stronger! My heart is pounding so hard and I feel just…giddy!_

_I’ve never felt anything like it._

_It feels so dangerous…and inescapable._

“C’mon,” Kenpachi urged him, “let’s go to your special place.”

Tetsuya didn’t remember the moment he decided what to do. He seemed to come out of his reverie to find himself already opening a doorway into the precipice world and taking Kenpachi’s bigger, rougher hand to guide him. They walked through the echoing corridor together, stealing glances at each other as they walked.

“It’s funny,” Kenpachi commented, “The more time I spend with you, the more I feel like this isn’t the first time you and I have been together.”

“I know what you mean,” Tetsuya asked, frowning, “But you know that we haven’t…”

“Yeah, I know,” Kenpachi agreed, “But it almost feels like there’s this whole other life we had, maybe before we ended up here as shinigamis. I can almost see it, you know? I dream about it…us walking side by side in these beautiful gardens. The gardens are bigger than Kuchiki Manor gardens, and endless.”

Tetsuya gave him a surprised look.

“I have…actually had that dream too,” he said in a shocked tone, “I remember those gardens. They remind me of the descriptions I’ve heard of the gardens that existed a long time ago in the royal realm.”

“The royal realm,” Kenpachi repeated, “You mean, with the cocoon thing that the king was in? And the cities that the quincies froze over in the war?”

“The royal realm wasn’t like that until after the first war with the quincies, about a thousand years ago,” Tetsuya explained as they continued to walk together, “The royal realm was vast and beautiful, and the soul king lived in a grand palace, not a cocoon. There was a royal family, and protectors all around them.”

He sighed sadly.

“Then, the first quincy onslaught came unexpectedly. The king and consort and all within the palace were slain. The quincies vaporized their bodies with such dread power that no trace was found of them. The entire royal family disappeared. That is where the story ends. The invading quincy king was eventually defeated, and his damaged body was imprisoned in a crystal housing. He was, ironically, placed on the throne and forced by the shinigamis to maintain the balance of souls as the true king had. This secret was kept from the civilians on the order of Central 46.”

“Sounds like history just repeated itself,” Kenpachi commented, “Only the _king_ we have now is a totally dead body.”

“I think it’s sad,” Tetsuya sighed.

Kenpachi smiled and teased his earlobe with rough lips.

“What? That there’s no god watching over us?” he asked, “Do you need one, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya closed his eyes, considering the question carefully.

“Our worlds need one,” he concluded, “Not that lie that sits on the throne now.”

Kenpachi’s smile turned into a wicked smirk.

“You know, there’s a guy sitting in Muken who felt the same way as you. He tried to go kill the king and it didn’t work out so well for him. But, you don’t look like killing him is in you, you know?”

“No,” Tetsuya agreed, “If I could do one thing for him, it would be to free him and let his body be given back to his people. If I could give a gift to the three worlds, it would be the king that they deserve, one who is a true balancer, and works to protect their freedom, their choices.”

“That makes a lot of sense, considering how the pricks who held you in that prison didn’t let you have yours. And maybe if we just listen to our instincts, here, they will lead us in the right direction.”

Tetsuya gave Kenpachi a curious look.

“Well, those guys who attacked you had a reason for calling you a little transcendent. Now, the little transcendent is feeling heat for a reiatsu monster like me. I say that if we keep walking this way, something big is bound to happen.”

Tetsuya stopped for a moment, feeling a little chill of uncertainty. Kenpachi read his expression and grinned.

“What are you thinking, angel? You wanna tempt fate and see what happens?”

“I don’t know,” Tetusya said, giving the bigger man a confused look, “I certainly feel the same impulse that you do, and I don’t know of another way to go to find answers.”

“But that isn’t enough, right? You need more. Look at me, angel. I’ve got all you need.”

Tetsuya gazed up into Kenpachi’s brilliant eyes, noting that the gold in them was beginning to spread. A headier feeling of attraction and arousal gripped him at the sight.

“I really don’t know,” he confessed, “But maybe you were right to suggest we go somewhere private and listen to the urges that are speaking to us.”

Tetsuya led Kenpachi out of a private senkaimon and through a quiet orchard, emerging in a meadow, where a large waterfall poured down into a beautifully moonlit lake.

“Byakuya and I train here,” Tetsuya explained, “But there is a place at the top of the waterfall that is secluded and comfortable. We have often sat beneath the branches of the sakura trees, looking up at the stars.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Kenpachi said approvingly, taking Tetsuya’s hand and holding it gently as they ascended the set of switchbacks that led to the top of the waterfall. The splashing of the water grew louder, and deeply soothing as they worked their way upward. It mixed with the comforting night sounds to create a surreal atmosphere.

“Beautiful,” Kenpachi sighed, dropping onto his knees beneath one of the little, blossoming trees, “C’mere.”

Tetsuya moved forward, kneeling in front of Kenpachi and looking up, into his now even more golden eyes.

“You asked, me earlier what we were supposed to do with the confusing urges we are having,” Tetsuya said softly, “And now that we are here, in this place that is special to me, and we are both feeling the same primal urge and sense of fate, I think I begin to understand.”

“This is dangerous, sweetheart,” Kenpachi rumbled, his eyes growing more golden and beginning to spark, “You know that, don’t you?”

“It is,” Tetsuya answered with an edge of certainty, “Whatever happens, I will be strong enough to face the truth.”

Kenpachi nodded.

“I will be too,” he promised, curving a palm around Tetsuya’s soft cheek and sinking more deeply into his blue eyes, “ _Open up for me, angel_.”

Tetsuya’s breath caught at the words, but he couldn’t have breathed anyway as Kenpachi’s rough mouth crashed into his, and the pupils of the bigger man’s eyes widened. As they did, Tetsuya felt as though he fell inside them. Silence blanketed the air around him, and everything seemed to dim for a moment. When his senses returned to him, he found himself standing in the lush gardens he had dreamed about.

_He left the confines of the palace behind him, blending in with the colors of the flowers and hedges. He made his way to a secluded waterfall and shed the protective camouflage, stepping into the water and moving to stand under the waterfall. He breathed slowly, letting his anxieties drain away with each large drop that rolled down his slim, naked form. He still felt sad inside, but the emotions grew less intense as he let them roll off his body and spill into the water at his feet. He had almost calmed himself fully, when he suddenly felt a pair of untamed eyes watching him._

“Tetsuya, are you okay?”

Tetsuya opened his eyes and sucked in a surprised breath at finding himself lying in his guest room at Kisuke Urahara’s shop, with his very pregnant cousin and Ichigo leaning over him.

“Tetsuya?” Byakuya called again.

Tetsuya sat up slowly, accepting Ichigo’s bracing hand.

“S-sorry, how did I get here? I was…”

“Kenpachi brought you back,” Ichigo explained, “He told Kisiuke that the two of you were kissing, and that you suddenly said something in another language and passed out.”

“I said something in another language?” Tetsuya asked, looking confused.

“He was able to repeat what he heard you say,” Byakuya explained, “and Tetsuya, it is not good.”

“I don’t understand,” Tetsuya whispered, staring at his cousin, “What did I say?”

“You used the ancient words for _spirit demon_.”


	6. Legend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something ungodly is unleashed as Kenpachi and Tetsuya join sexually.

“Okay, let’s see if we can’t at least try to figure this thing out,” Kisuke said, shaking his head as he attached numerous sensors to the heads and torsos of the two men who laid on examination tables in his lab. Byakuya, Renji, Rukia and Ichigo stood by, watching as the probes were attached, then Kisuke moved to a computer to initiate a battery of tests on Tetsuya and Kenpachi.

You already did a bunch of tests on us,” the eleventh division captain complained, “What’s with the new torture?”

“It looks worse than it is,” Kisuke chuckled good naturedly, “and the reason for the new tests is because we’ve gained some new information from what happened when these two started kissing.”

Byakuya frowned.

“They kissed before without there being any strange effects,” he reasoned, “What caused my cousin to lose consciousness and to have the vision he described to us?”

“I’m working on that,” Kisuke assured him, “Nearest I can figure is that what was different this time was intent, if you know what I mean.”

“Erm, no, I don’t know what you mean,” Byakuya replied, his frown deepening, “What was different about their intent?”

“Ahem,” said Renji, “I think he was meaning that they went where they did to be alone so…”

“So we could fuck without anyone bothering us,” Kenpachi finished.

Byakuya stiffened and his reiatsu swelled dangerously around him.

“How dare you…?”

“Aw c’mon, you knew we were gonna do it,” Kenpachi argued.

“I think we all kinda knew they were gonna do it,” Renji whispered to Ichigo and Rukia.

Rukia scowled and smacked Renji on the arm.

“Shut up! You’re making my brother angry, you fool!” she scolded him.

“R-right, sorry,” the redhead apologized hastily.

“Anyway,” Kisuke said loudly, wresting back control of the conversation, “knowing that the two of them may have sparked Tetsuya’s vision gives us a unique opportunity to have the two of them purposely try to provoke another episode.”

Byakuya stiffened further and his reiatsu flared, causing a sharp rumble to go through the room that rattled the glass beakers and the lab’s windows.

“Urahara Kisuke, I am sure that I did not just hear you suggest that you and the rest of us are going to stand here and watch as my cousin and that absolute _beast_ have sex in front of us!” he snapped furiously, “This is outrageous!”

“I know it’s a little crazy…”

“ _A little?_ ” Byakuya repeated, his voice laced with sarcasm, “You say it’s _a little_ crazy? Have you completely parted with your senses?”

“Hey, do you want me to be able to protect your pretty cupcake…erm…cousin?” Kenpachi asked pointedly, “Or do you just want us all to let the fucking weirdos who grabbed him before come back and finish the job? You might wanna think about the fact that those fucking nuts were actually able to conjure a goddamned _demon_! Did you think about that, Kuchiki?”

“I did, and I am deeply concerned for Tetsuya’s safety. Excuse me if I just don’t appreciate that the best way to do that is to let you manhandle him while we all watch!”

“Well, we don’t all have to watch,” Kisuke assured him.

“I think I’d die of embarrassment!” Tetsuya complained, paling.

“Naw,” Kenpachi purred, winking at his slighter partner, “believe me, you’ve got nothing at all to be embarrassed about. You’re knock’em dead gorgeous.”

Tetsuya’s face burned a bright red.

“Ah…” he stammered, “um…”

“Look,” Kisuke reasoned, “all of us here want the same thing. We all want to know why this weird stuff is happening that’s making this group of whack-os want to summon spirit demons, who apparently think Tetsuya would make a tasty and satisfying snack. If we want answers to these questions, preferably before they feed Tetsuya to a hungry demon…”

“We give him instead to this… _other demon_ ,” Byakuya huffed.

Kenpachi gave him a lopsided grin.

“Hey, you complaining about my bankai now?” he asked.

Byakuya scowled and the others gave the two curious looks.

“Oh, that’s right,” Kisuke mused, “I recall sensing your bankai during the fighting, but I think Byakuya is the only one here who’s actually seen it.”

“The rest of you are the lucky ones,” the noble said stiffly, “It was hideous!”

“It got the job done, didn’t it?” Kenpachi argued.

“As I recall, your little demon form got trampled by that quincy we fought.”

“That was a fucking ridiculous fight, wasn’t it?” Kenpachi sighed, shaking his head, “Woulda been great if he’d actually been a goddamned challenge, but the only reason we were losing was because every time we dropped him and destroyed him, he just regenerated.”

“If not for Ywach taking back his power, that behemoth would have just kept on regenerating,” Byakuya agreed.

“Wait a sec. Let’s go back a little,” Kisuke suggested, “Did Byakuya say that Kenpachi’s bankai is a demon form?”

“That’s right,” Kenpachi answered proudly, “I turn red all over and practically turn to pure reiatsu, but it is shaped like one of the spirit demons. Yeah.”

“You change form too?” the shopkeeper mused, tapping a finger on his chin, “Interesting…”

He looked from Kenpachi to Tetsuya and back again.

“So, Tetsuya, your bankai is not transformative, right?” he asked.

“No, it’s not,” Tetsuya affirmed, “I just compact my waterforms into smaller, more destructive blades. It’s not transformative.”

“Huh…okay. I gotta chew on this. But you know, I’m gonna be missing something if I don’t first observe one of these visions of yours. I think the one you described is important to understanding exactly what’s going on. Now, when you were taken, Tetsuya, your abductors called you _little transcendent_ , right?”

“Yes.”

“But you told me before that you have no transcendent ability?”

“Right, I don’t,” Tetsuya insisted.

“Uh-huh,” Kisuke agreed, “at least, you don’t _right now_.”

“What are you saying?” Tetsuya asked urgently, “Kisuke, if you know what is going on, you must tell us!”

“Keep your britches on,” the shopkeeper chuckled, “I’m getting to it. I have to be sure that I’m right, you know. I told you before that there are ways to test for divine potential. We kinda got distracted away from doing that, so I think we’ll need to do that now. But I’m still of the opinion that we need to push some limits, and the limits most likely to yield what we need can only be pushed by the two of you doing what comes naturally. I know it’s embarrassing for you…”

“Not me,” Kenpachi snickered.

“Shut up, beast,” Byakuya hissed, glowering at him.

“The other thing we need to do,” the shopkeeper interjected quickly, “is to study Kenpachi’s bankai and to maybe expose that form to Tetsuya.”

“Eh, that might not be a good idea, since I don’t control the demon beast very well yet. I don’t wanna fry my little sweetheart, here.”

“Well, Tetsuya doesn’t actually have to be in the room or anything,” Kisuke chuckled, “Tetsuya can set a waterform and let the demon sniff around that.”

“As long as the demon’s heavy reiatsu doesn’t just break the waterform,” Tetsuya added.

“Yeah, there’s that too,” Kisuke concurred, “Hmm, I guess that about does it. We’ll need to move this to the underground training room, because it can take a lot more punishment than my lab. While we’re gone, the computers will be completing the tests I’m running. Byakuya, Ichigo, Renji and Rukia, I’ll need you to hold the seal on the training room in place while we’re doing all of this. Don’t want to blow up half of Karakura Town while we’re doing this.”

Kenpachi sat up and tore away the monitors attached to him, then climbed to his feet and helped Tetsuya do the same. He ignored Byakuya’s deadly glaring and patted Tetsuya on the face.

“You okay, love?” he asked.

“Yes,” Tetsuya sighed, “but I really wish we didn’t have to have sex in front of everyone.”

“It’s okay,” the big man said in an unusually tender tone, “Only one who’s really gonna see anything is Kisuke. The others will be focused on maintaining the seal. They won’t be able to see.”

“That’s some comfort,” Tetsuya said gratefully.

He leaned closer to whisper into Kenpachi’s ear.

“But sometimes I think Mr. Urahara enjoys things like this too much.”

“Yeah, well, he’s probably jealous and needs to get himself laid.”

A blush roared across Tetsuya’s comely face and Kenpachi laughed.

“Sorry,” he snickered.

“No, you’re not,” Tetsuya laughed softly, “beast.”

The two men paused as the last word left Tetsuya’s lips and seemed to echo with familiarity. Kenpachi curved a big palm around Tetsuya’s cheek and his green eyes reflected hints of golden as he gazed down into the slighter man’s widened blue orbs. Tetsuya’s heart pounded wildly, and he felt the sense of having felt that same touch many times, somewhere, sometime before.

“It’s so strange,” Tetsuya whispered, blinking slowly, “This feels so very familiar!”

“To me too,” Kenpachi agreed, “I think we’re headed in the right direction, here. C’mon, Tetsuya.”

The two followed the others down into the underground training room, where Kisuke set up a shielded area and directed Byakuya, Ichigo, Renji and Rukia to the corners of the shield to maintain it.

“You won’t see what’s going on inside the shielded zone,” he informed them, “but I will be in a protected area, monitoring them as they…erm… _bond_. Believe me. If at any time, I think Tetsuya’s in danger, here, I can neutralize Kenpachi and he will just crash and fall asleep.”

“Are you absolutely sure that there will be no danger to my cousin?” Byakuya demanded.

“None at all,” Kisuke promised, “Tetsuya will be fine, and when we’re done with this, I think we’ll have the answers we need.”

“We had better,” Byakuya said darkly, “I am only putting up with this nonsense because Tetsuya seems to trust you. I continue to have my doubts.”

“Relax, will you?” Ichigo said, slipping an arm around Byakuya and rubbing his pregnant belly gently, “You know every time you start getting all agitated, your reiatsu gets fluttery.”

“I don’t mind telling you, I don’t like this at all!” Byakuya snapped.

“Yeah,” Ichigo chuckled, kissing his frowning lips, “I get it. C’mon, trust Kisuke. I know he’s a little perverted…”

“A little?”

“Okay, he’s real perverted, but he cares about Tetsuya, and he’s not gonna let him get hurt. Give him a chance, and I know he’ll figure this out.”

“It’s not even that which really bothers me,” Byakuya confessed more softly, “I just…after the torment Tetsuya has suffered, I want him to be happy. And how can he possibly be happy with a man who loves violence and who will only yield his status as _the Kenpachi_ by dying in battle? What sort of future is that for a gentle, loving person like my cousin, who is a healer by nature and only fights when he has no choice?”

“Well, they do say that opposites attract, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s a real gentle side coming out in Kenpachi that I’ve never seen before. You know, he had a hellacious childhood too, so he understands what Tetsuya has been through. I think it’ll be okay with them. Now, try to calm down, all right? Tetsuya’s gonna be okay.”

Byakuya glanced at his cousin, who stood quietly at Kenpachi’s side, with the bigger man’s arm curled protectively around him.

_I want to go and tear him away from that monster, but…Tetsuya does appear to be at peace with this. I just hope that we do not regret later that we let this happen._

The four shinigamis took their places at the corners of the sealed area and Kisuke took up a position in a protected area inside, leaving Tetsuya and Kenpachi alone on a quiet patch of sandy ground. Kenpachi looked around for a moment, then looked down into Tetsuya’s calm, serious eyes.

“I know this ain’t the place of your dreams or mine, and I may not be what you expected in a lover, but you know, you threw me off my rocker too, beautiful. I never thought that someone like you would give me the time of day. I’m not beautiful, or anything like it.”

“No,” Tetsuya agreed, settling into the bigger man’s arms, “you have your own unique, feral beauty. You are not civilized, but you are a wild creature, born of the low Rukongai. Your eyes glow with unrestrained power, your body must be terribly strong just to wield it. But your wild heart does not differ in its beats from mine. I, too, have borne the cruelty and punishment of being outcast. I grew under that strain differently from you, but that only means we are not the same. It does not make you less than me. Come, my beast. Be with me.”

Kenpachi’s smile widened and his green eyes caught fire and began to turn golden. He took Tetsuya’s face in his hands, bringing him in for a long, tender kiss. Tetsuya pressed his slim body up against the larger man’s, breathing in Kenpachi’s warm, masculine scent that made his heart pound harder and his loins begin to ache with longing. It was more than evident that Kenpachi was reacting with equal fervor. His arms held Tetsuya tightly, and his hot, red tongue slithered into the slighter man’s mouth, tickling, teasing and tasting him hungrily. His hand slid down Tetsuya’s slender torso and caressed the noble’s awakened cock slowly. He locked eyes with Tetsuya again, and felt his mind suddenly shift, along with Tetsuya’s to a time long before and a beautiful garden in the royal realm of old.

_The young royal turned to look at the wild, golden-eyed creature that stole out of the bushes near the king’s healing pool, where the prince was bathing. The prince knew that he was safe from the wicked looking creature as long as he did not depart the water. The spirit demons were repelled by the king’s power. So, he gazed quietly at the demon with no fear in his eyes._

_“What is your name, spirit beast?” he asked, “Are you able to speak to me?”_

_The huge, red beast rose to his full height, revealing a handsome, muscular body that was built for fighting. The prince stared raptly, his breath lost at the beast’s radiant beauty._

_“I can speak to you,” he revealed, “but before I reveal my name to you, young prince, I must tell you that you are in danger.”_

_The prince smiled._

_“From you?” he asked, looking amused._

_The beast looked more deeply into his eyes._

_“I will never let harm come to you,” he breathed softly._

_The young prince’s heart began to race._

_“Who are you?” he demanded, “Tell me your name!”_

_The tall creature nodded._

_“I will. I have had two names, young prince. You know that your family is not the blood of the original king of these worlds?”_

_“Yes. We were born of his closest comrade, who remained true to his king and protected him, even when the king was corrupted and disappeared from the palace. We have always known we are guardians, and we have wished for the safe return of our monarch.”_

_“That king was my father,” the beast announced._

_“What?” the prince gasped, stepping forward and carelessly forgetting to keep himself wholly within the pool, “He was…?”_

_“It was a spirit demon who the king killed, that poisoned him and transformed him. Your ancestor, his protector, kept everyone from knowing. The corrupted king gave him protection form the demon transformation, and he walked among the demons in safety from that day on, until the two died together.”_

_“But then, who is your mother?”_

_“I have no mother. Spirit demon births are rare, and when one is born, it rises out of the ashes of the father or mother. I came directly from my father’s body, and as he died, he gave me a name.”_

_The prince’s heart pounded so hard now that he thought it would burst in his chest._

_“Please,” he asked urgently, “tell me your name.”_

The minds of the two shinigamis returned suddenly to the underground training room beneath Kisuke’s shop. Kenpachi’s eyes roared full-golden and his body shimmered as the skin reddened and darkened, until he was the handsome red demon of his bankai.

“My name,” he said, looking down into Tetsuya’s rounded eyes, “is _Kenpachi_. As my father died and I was born, he told me that your family’s kingdom was going to fall, and I must protect you. We don’t want the throne. We choose instead to give it to the blood of the most loyal of our friends. I offer you now the protection and love of the king of demons… _the Kenpachi_! Will you accept me as your lover and your protector, _son of Reiou_?”

Kenpachi loosened his yukata, baring his huge, muscular body and burgeoning crimson member, then he kneeled in front of Tetsuya.

“Do you remember me yet, my king?”

Tetsuya’s blue eyes clouded and blinked as images played out in his spinning mind.

_My house fell, and the demons were blamed, but it wasn’t demons who killed everyone. It was the quincies! They killed all of my family and only fell after all but me were dead. No one knew I still lived. Kenpachi stole me away, and we threw ourselves into the soul well, because it was foretold by him to me that if I stayed, the true king’s line would fade, and there would never be another true king. So…all of this time in the last thousand years, we have been born and reborn until we met here._

_I am a king’s son!_

_I am the heir to the throne!_

Tetsuya opened his yukata and looked down into his beast’s brilliant eyes.

_But I don’t want to be king!_

Tetsuya blinked as he recalled facing the Kenapchi in the royal gardens and saying those words to his demon lover.

“I don’t want to be king,” he whispered, his face paling.

Kenpachi’s radiant demon form reached for him, smiling wisely.

“It’s all right,” he said reassuringly, “Just take the royal power back into your body…and we’ll make the new king instead.”

Tetsuya’s breath left him again.

_My breeder ability…there was a story that there was a breeder male who was born, not made. I am a natural breeder male of royal blood._

_I can bear a true heir!_

_Pretty soon, it will not be just the crazy people who want me dead. The noble houses have held the power they do, because there has not been a true king for over a thousand years._

_We are going to be in horrible danger if we are sensed!_

“Don’t worry,” Kenpachi rumbled, extending a hand, “Let me give you my full protection, and we’ll put the next king on the throne together…the way our fathers would want it.”

Tetsuya shivered at the heavy feeling of danger, but he moved forward and slid onto Kenpachi’s lap, meeting the bigger man’s demon form with a tender kiss.

“Make love to me, my beast. Let’s give them a king who bring justice back to our worlds!”

Kenpachi grinned and pulled Tetsuya close, kissing him more roughly as he dampened his thick fingers in their saliva, then slowly slid one into Tetsuya’s tight anus, pushing in deeply and teasing the sensitive nerves of his lover’s prostate.

“Oh!” Tetsuya moaned, thrashing heatedly,” K-kenpachi!”

“I’m with you, doll. I’m pushing in another finger. Relax. I won’t hurt you.”

Tetsuya groaned erotically as a second finger joined the first, thrusting in deep, then scissoring and gently stretching the soft tissues. He paused, brushing the hairs away from one side of the noble’s white throat.

“Before I put it in you and impregnate you, I have to make you immune to demon reiatsu, venom and blood, so that you won’t transform, and neither will our kid. It’ll hurt a little, but I’ll do it fast.”

“Okay,” Tetsuya panted, writhing against him.

Tetsuya’s eyes closed and his fingers dug into the demon’s shoulders as the creature bit down and released his protective venom into Tetsuya’s body. Tetsuya flinched, then relaxed as Kenpachi positioned him and brought him down gently, inch by hot, throbbing red inch, carefully joining their quivering bodies.

Kenpachi’s demon form smiled and met Tetsuya’s blue eyes again, and the two spoke the words they had shared before leaping into the soul well together to escape the oncoming quincies.

“ _Long live the true king!_ ”

The demon Kenpachi’s red hands wrapped around Tetsuya’s soft bottom, encouraging him as he rose and fell on his seething, scarlet cock, panting harshly with slight pain and rising pleasure.

_We have both seen the cruelty and injustice in the worlds that our fathers made and ruled. It is time to bring the king’s justice back to the three worlds they created!_

Tetsuya felt the demon stiffen, and he sensed the reiatsu that was about to fill him. Inside his body, a long hidden royal seal burst into flame and disappeared, releasing his own divine power. Red and white light exploded around the two as their powers collided, joined and formed the royal heir’s reiatsu inside Tetsuya’s body. The two lover howled with pleasure as they gave themselves over to climax.

As their powers flared, the protective shield around them shattered, and the others in the room were forced to throw themselves to the sandy floor as the room quaked with the release of concentrated energy. For several minutes, the sand was so riled, the ones in the room were forced to cover their faces. When everything settled again, they lifted themselves from the ground, staring in dismay at Tetsuya and Kenpachi’s naked, collapsed and panting bodies.

“What the fucking hell was that?” Renji yelled, spitting out a mouthful of sand.

“Kisuke,” Ichigo shouted, “what was that?”

Kisuke gathered himself, but his voice was still shaky as he answered them.

“Guys, we have to get them out of here, _now_!”


End file.
